Olympics Organizers Ask Keith Moon to Play Closing Ceremony

31 May 2012 Leave a comment

by Ed Cyphers in General Posts Tags: ,

keith moon

(reprinted from Rolling Stone)

Organizers of the London Olympics approached the  Who’s manager to inquire about having Keith Moon play at an Olympics event  despite the drummer being dead for nearly 34 years, the Sunday Times reports.

“I emailed back saying Keith now resides in Golders Green crematorium, having  lived up to the Who’s anthemic line ‘I hope I die before I get old’,” the band’s  longtime manager, Bill Curbishley, told the Times. “If they have a  round table, some glasses and candles, we might contact him.”

Moon died in 1978 at the age of 32 from an an accidental overdose of  prescription pills. The Olympics organizers wanted the late drummer to take part  in the Symphony of Rock, a celebration of British pop culture that will be part  of the Games’ closing ceremony on August 12th.

Songs You May Have Missed #116

31 May 2012 Leave a comment

by Ed Cyphers in Songs You May Have Missed Tags: ,

monsters

Monsters of Folk: “Whole Lotta Losin'” (2009)

Monsters of Folk are Bright Eyes’ Conor Oberst and Mike Mogis, Jim James of My Morning Jacket and singer-songwriter M. Ward, who is also one half of She & Him (with Zooey Deschanel). The indie folk supergroup’s collaboration produced some super results…and some just average ones. “Whole Lotta Losin'” is decidedly one of the highlights.

Songs You May Have Missed #115

31 May 2012 3 Comments

by Ed Cyphers in Songs You May Have Missed Tags: , ,

sons

Dan Fogelberg: “Hurtwood Alley” (1978)

How is it that you can hear the outdoors in Dan Fogelberg’s music? How do certain musicians conjure a sense of the place, the scenery that moves them, in a song with no words? Whatever the secret, it’s a sign of true musical artistry.

Fogelberg always had a gift for evoking scenic outdoor vistas and the soul’s interiors all at once. His 1978 Twin Sons of Different Mothers album, recorded with flautist Tim Weisberg, had a little of everything: songs that showcased Dan’s oft-overlooked guitar prowess (on electric or classical acoustic), jazzy flute instrumentals, tasteful covers (of the Hollies and Judy Collins)…oh, and Dan’s highest-charting hit up until that time (“The Power of Gold”).

“Hurtwood Alley” is the type of song we heard now and then in the ’70’s, but rarely now–a structured instrumental written in the same pattern as a vocal song, with chorus- and bridge-like sections, as opposed to a “jam” or anything blues-based. People like Elton John (“Funeral For a Friend”) and Jeff Lynne (“Fire On High”) made such songs lead tracks on platinum and gold-selling LP’s.

See also: https://edcyphers.com/2013/09/19/songs-you-may-have-missed-476/

See also: https://edcyphers.com/2012/05/10/recommended-albums-17/

Songs You May Have Missed #114

31 May 2012 2 Comments

by Ed Cyphers in Songs You May Have Missed Tags: ,

mavericks

The Mavericks: “Things I Cannot Change” (1999)

Unfortunately, since its appearance on the Mavericks’ Super Colossal Smash Hits of the 90’s compilation, golden-voiced front man Raul Malo has seen fit to exclude this song from subsequent hits collections in favor of covers of classics and songs he himself wrote or co-wrote. But “Things I Cannot Change” has vocal and instrumental hooks to equal any Mavericks tune, and doesn’t have the feel of a genre exercise as much of this band’s recorded output does.

10 Best Disco Songs of All Time–Rolling Stone Readers’ Poll

29 May 2012 3 Comments

by Ed Cyphers in General Posts Tags:

The first thing that strikes me about the Rolling Stone Best Disco Songs of All Time list is: Rolling Stone magazine would never have lowered itself to making such a list back in the era of Disco, when the music was seen as anathema and the very antithesis of everything the magazine stood for. But times have changed indeed: many forms of music co-mingle under the Rolling Stone banner nowadays as the periodical does what it can to survive in what is a lean era for actual Rock ‘n Roll.

But as for the list itself: not bad! I think the Rolling Stone readers actually named the ten best (mainstream at least) Disco songs. The order could be argued ad infinitum and I won’t bother. Check out the list here:

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/pictures/readers-poll-the-best-disco-songs-of-all-time-20120523?utm_source=dailynewsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter

Songs You May Have Missed #113

29 May 2012 1 Comment

by Ed Cyphers in Songs You May Have Missed Tags: ,

parllour

Fairfield Parlour: “Bordeaux Rosé” (1970)

In a shady little hamlet of the musical world known as 1970’s British Folk Rock abides some very charming, pastoral, earnest work that barely registers in a world of in-your-face rap, risqué dance pop and indie eccentricity.

“Bordeaux Rosé” is two and a half minutes of a simple toast to the good things, and an invitation to the wine to do its work. I love four things about this song: its description of the Bordeaux’s effect (we are swimming far beneath the scarlet glow); the flute, introduced at 1:24 for a single flourish and never heard again; the understated presence in the mix of sitar and mellotron, two instruments that tend to be used rather heavy-handedly but here are tasteful garnishes; and the way the song transitions from 3/4 time in the verses to a 4/4 chorus with gentle dexterity.

Among the things that catch my ear in a song I love is a subtle arranger’s touch–the ability to see that a particular instrument or effect will enhance the song, coupled with the tact to say, “just that much and no more”. That gentility of arrangement serves to keep a song fresh to the ear, makes one want to listen again, and gives the music the shelf life of a fine French wine.

See also: https://edcyphers.com/2013/08/11/songs-you-may-have-missed-460/

Songs You May Have Missed #112

29 May 2012 Leave a comment

by Ed Cyphers in Songs You May Have Missed Tags: ,

dennen

Brett Dennen: “Make You Crazy” (2008)

Brett Dennen’s 2008 album, Hope For the Hopeless got him on Rolling Stone magazine’s Artists to Watch list that year. “Make You Crazy” is pretty indicative of his formula: a unique voice, an appealing, listenable vibe and a message in the music. Dennen would probably appeal to about 87% of Jack Johnson’s fans.

Songs You May Have Missed #111

29 May 2012 4 Comments

by Ed Cyphers in Songs You May Have Missed Tags: ,

ticket_to_ride

The Beatles: “Yes It Is” (1965)

“Yes It Is” never appeared on a regular Beatles LP. Issued as the B-side of their #1 “Ticket to Ride” single, the song itself peaked at #46. Only when the Past Masters collections gathered stray tracks which never before had appeared on LP in the U.S. did “Yes It Is” make it on to a long player.

It’s just one more Beatles song that would have been a career highlight for many lesser bands, but was destined for relative obscurity due to the remarkable output of the band both in terms of quality and quantity. Considering their A-sides of 1965 alone (“Eight Days a Week”, “Ticket to Ride”, “Help!”, “Yesterday”, and  the double A-sided “We Can Work It Out”/”Day Tripper”) you can’t really make an argument that “Yes It Is” should have supplanted any of them. But it’s a great song nevertheless, featuring wonderful harmonies and one of Lennon’s most plaintive performances in the solo sections.

If you aren’t fifty-something or a Beatles completest, this one may have escaped your attention. But let it serve notice that, Past Masters 1 and 2 included, there really is no such thing as a non-essential Beatles album–with the exception, perhaps, of Yellow Submarine.

More Basic Truth in Venn Diagram Form

28 May 2012 Leave a comment

by Ed Cyphers in General Posts, On a Lighter Note

Cee Lo Green Visits Daryl’s House

27 May 2012 3 Comments

by Ed Cyphers in General Posts Tags: , , ,

Cee Lo Green appeared on a recent webisode of Daryl Hall’s highly recommended Live From Daryl’s House show, performing some of his best songs with Hall’s band as well as a sweet version of Hall’s “I Can’t Go For That (No Can Do)”.

Check it out here:

http://www.livefromdarylshouse.com/currentep.html?ep_id=67

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